Now I’ll tell you, in years past, there were all kinds of controversies regarding this annual tradition. But so far in 2012 I haven’t heard word one in the media about this event. That’s a big green light for you and your friends to come on down this year. The thing that’s changed lately is that you can’t have parade floats to push around anymore. That’s it.

But whatever you do, don’t register. All that does is send money to some hard-core right winger Prop 8 supporting billionaire fitness nut who “bought” this event because he liked participating in it. No, just show up ready to par-TAY.

Oh, and remember, don’t let anybody in some T-shirt push you around. The only people who you need to listen to are in the SFPD, pretty much.

And me – I’ve lived on Fell Street for donkey’s years and I, personally, am inviting you and your cousins and your frat and/or sorority to come on down.

This semi-official “Neighborhood Ambassador” of the 100th running of the Bay to Breakers event somehow got the idea that she should start shutting down the annual after-party on Fell Street all by herself.

She spent a while hectoring these street youth until one of them proffered his hand for a high-five good-bye. (You see, he was too polite just to walk away during the haranguing session.) She left him hanging for a bit with his hand fixed in the air but eventually she responded in kind and then the kids, the Future of America, the people who were doing nothing wrong, felt free to walk away without appearing to be too disrespectful.

The scene on Fell – what happens when you try to end an afternoon party at lunchtime:

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Some of the “Ambassadors” felt it was their job to prevent people from walking across the Panhandle to get to the other side, you know, the same way residents of Fell Street do the other 364 days of the year, However, the citizens of SF mostly managed to ignore these brownshirts.

“If they’re open containers we pour it out,” said an officer who declined to give his name. “If they’re closed we leave them alone. If they’re drunk we take them to the tank, if they fight we arrest them.”

This comports exactly with what I’ve seen. So that’s what you should keep in mind when you show up for the street party in 2012

Now, check it, the cops have already passed through and DPW is still cleaning up Fell Street, but, the party rages on past 1:00 PM:

Some people, like the Yes on Prop 8 crew, actually like volunteering for “Christian Billionaire” Philip Anschutz but others aren’t cut out for it.

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Boy, won’t these souvenuir T-shirts help them to remember all the good times they’re not having by trying to rat out people actually having a good time?

No, not actually.

And the “private security,” the ones wearing (I presume) City-issued green and orange safety vests, well, some of them are aging homeless people and others are “at-risk” youth, who feel quite free to hit on unregistered, female, “bandit” party entrants. And oh, smoke marijuana OTJ as well. Oh well.

And all the while, a party rages on the next block over. Meet the real neighbors of the NoPA:

The cool people in the ‘hood open their doors, the uncool people join task forces.